View and Meditation of the Great Perfectionfrom Dzogchen Master Jamgon Kontrul Rinpoche

Homage to the Guru, the teacher.

The View and Meditation of Dzogchen can be explained in many, many ways, but simply sustaining the essence of present awareness includes them all.Your mind won't be found elsewhere. It is the very nature of this moment-to-moment thinking. Regard nakedly the essence of this thinking and you find present awareness, right where you are.

Why chase after thoughts, which are superficial ripples of present awareness? Rather look directly into the naked, empty nature of thoughts; then there is no duality, no observer, and nothing observed.Simply rest in this transparent, nondual present awareness.Make yourself at home in the natural state of pure presence, just being, not doing anything in particular.

Present awareness is empty, open, and luminous; not a concrete substance, yet not nothing.Empty, yet it is perfectly cognizant, lucid, aware.As if magically, not by causing it to be aware, but innately aware, awareness continuously functions.These two sides of present awareness or Rigpa-its emptiness and its cognizance (lucidity)-are inseparable.Emptiness and luminosity (knowing) are inseparable.They are formless, as if nothing whatsoever, ungraspable, unborn, undying; yet spacious, vivid, buoyant.Nothing whatsoever, yet Emaho!, everything is magically experienced.Simply recognize this. Look into the magical mirror of mind and appreciate this infinite magical display.

With constant, vigilant mindfulness, sustain this recognition of empty, open, brilliant awareness. Cultivate nothing else. There is nothing else to do, or to undo. Let it remain naturally.Don't spoil it by manipulating, by controlling, by tampering with it, and worrying about whether you are right or wrong, or having a good meditation or a bad meditation. Leave it as it is, and rest your weary heart and mind.

The ultimate luminosity of Dharmakaya, absolute truth, is nothing other than the very nature of this uncontrived, ordinary mind.Don't look elsewhere for the Buddha. It is nothing other than the nature of this present awareness. This is the Buddha within.

There are innumerable Dharma teachings. There are many antidotes to many different kinds of spiritual diseases. There are many words in the Mahamudra and Dzogchen nondual teachings. But the root, the heart of all practices is included here, in simply sustaining the luminous nature of this present awareness.If you search elsewhere for something better, a Buddha superior to this present awareness, you are deluding yourself.You are chained, entangled in the barbed wire of hope and fear.So give it up! Simply sustain present wakefulness, moment after moment.Devotion, compassion, and perfecting virtue and wisdom are the most important supportive methods for completely fulfilling this naked, nondual teaching about present awareness, the innate Dharmakaya.So always devote yourself to spiritual practice for the benefit of others and apply yourself in body, speech, and mind to what is wholesome and virtuous.

Briliant!First I looked for mind in words.Then I looked for mind in appearances.Now I look at awareness with awareness. Andrew

The Blessed One said:

"What is the All? Simply the eye & forms, ear & sounds, nose & aromas, tongue & flavors, body & tactile sensations, intellect & ideas. This, monks, is called the All. Anyone who would say, 'Repudiating this All, I will describe another,' if questioned on what exactly might be the grounds for his statement, would be unable to explain, and furthermore, would be put to grief. Why? Because it lies beyond range." Sabba Sutta.

If you want to understand a wordy expression of Dzogchen - it doesn't get better than this (above and below).

The 9 Amazing Things (Translated by Lama Vajranatha, who is teaching in NYC on May 12th, C/O: jameshbae@yahoo.com)

This self originated Clear Light, which from the very beginning was in no way produced by something antecedent to it, is the child of awareness, and yet it is itself without any parents Amazing!This self-originated primordial awareness has not been created by anything Amazing!It does not experience birth nor does there exist a cause for its death Amazing!Although it is evidently visible, yet there is no one there who sees it Amazing!Although it has wandered throughout Samsara, it has come to no harm Amazing!Even though it has seen Buddhahood itself, it has not come to any benefit from this Amazing!Even though it exists in everyone everywhere, yet it has gone unrecognized Amazing!Nonetheless you hope to attain some other fruit than this elsewhere Amazing!Even though it exists within yourself and nowhere else, yet you seek for it elsewhere Amazing!